Adjustable picture hanger



Aug.29, 1944. H. E. BAWDEN 2,357,071

- ADJUSTABLE PICTURE HANGER- Filed Dec. 28, 1943 v awn/Tom HE. BAWDEN .v.

BY A

Patented Aug. 29, 1944 ADJUSTABLE PICTURE HANGER Harry E. Bawden, Bettendorf, Iowa, assignor to Bawden Brothers, Inc., Davenport, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application December 28, 1943, Serial No. 516,125

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to suspending means for hanging pictures or the like against more or less flat surfaces, such as painted or papered walls. Among the objects of this invention are to provide an inexpensive, novel, suspending means for the purpose indicated; to provide means of the character indicated which can be easily applied by anyone to a picture or the lik for the hanging thereof upon a wall; to provide an efficient, inexpensive, and. easily operable means of the class indicated so that anyone who desires to do so may hang pictures or the like, more or less temporarily, or, if desired, permanently; to provide a neat, attractive means of the character stated which is much less expensive than regular picture framing; and such further objects, advantages, and capabilities as will hereafter appear and as are inherent in the structur disclosed herein.

In the drawing annexed hereto and forming a part hereof,

Fig. 1 represents my present invention applied to the back of a picture, the same being ready to be hung;

Fig. 2 represents an edge view of the picture shown in Fig. 1, the same lying face down; and

Fig. 3 represents a face View of one of the blocks shown in Fig. 1, the same showing the opposite face thereof.

The present invention pertains to means whereby pictures and the like can be easily and quickly prepared for hanging and, in addition to a pane of glass used for a front, comprises a pair of edge-grooved blocks, an end-grooved block, and a flexible connecting means whereby these blocks may be connected and drawn tightly against the edges of the glass.

In my present construction, blocks I are edgegrooved, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, and have a portion of one wall removed, as indicated at 2, so that there is a narrow flange 3 left to engage the face of the glass covering the picture in order that there may not be too much of the picture covered up. Theflange 4 ,on the back is wider to furnish ampl body in which to form the holes 5 through which the flexible means 6 may be passed. Grooves I are formed in the inner face of the flange 4 and connect the holes 5 with the adjacent edge of the flange. These grooves are for the reception of the flexible means 6 so that it wil not hold the body away from the back of the picture.

After the flexibl means 6, preferably a strong cord, has been passed serially through the openings 5 so as to connect the two blocks I by parallel strands, a block 8, provided in its two ends with grooves, is placed between the strands which are drawn into these grooves and then the block 8 is turned, end over end, until the cord is sufficiently twisted to draw the blocks I into tight engagement with the edges of the picture.

While a single sheet of glass 9, as shown in Fig. 2, may be used, with a cardboard ll] placed against the back of the picture to hold it tightly against the glass, it is preferred to use a pair of panes of glass 9 between which the picture is placed so that the latter will more definitely be held flat. If desired, the grooves in the blocks l for the reception of the glass and picture may be made of different Widths but it is doubted if this will often be necessary as it is believed that, as the public gets accustomed to the use of this construction, two glasses, instead of a glass and a cardboard, will be used for the mounting of the picture. If the flexible means is too long or too short, the length can be readily adjusted by untying the knot, making the desired adjustment and re-tieing. Ordinarily, it will be advisable to have the knot at the top of the picture, rather than at the bottom, as this will prevent the ends of the cord from hanging down below the bottom of the picture. It will be understood that this construction can equally as well be used in the hanging of mirrors and for many other purposes, and I therefore do not intend to be limited to the use or uses disclosed.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. suspending means for pictures and the like, comprising a pane of glass of suitable size having a picture lying flat against one face thereof, a pair of grooved blocks engaging opposite edges of said glass, said edges being engaged in the grooves of th blocks, each of said blocks having a pair of spaced holes extending transversely therethrough and shallow grooves extending from said holes to the adjacent edges of the blocks, flexible means extending through said four holes serially to connect said blocks by a pair of strands lying adjacent the back of the picture or the like, and a block provided in its two ends with grooves for the reception of said strands of the flexible connecting means, said last mentioned block being rotatable transversely of the flexible connecting means to cause twisting thereof between the last mentioned block and the pair of grooved blocks whereby a tension is placed upon said flexible means, to thereby hold the pair of blocks engaged with the edges of the glass, the back of the suspended means normally preventing the flexible means from untwisting.

2. Holding means for suspending a picture or th like, comprising a pair of edge-grooved blocks for engaging opposite edges of a picture and its mounting means, said blocks each having a pair of openings extending transversely therethrough for the reception of flexible connecting means whereby said blocks may be connected, a pair of flexible strands looped through said openings and connecting said blocks, and a block having grooves provided in opposite edges, in- 10 serted between the mid-portions of said strands, said strands being then twisted so that the flexible means is twisted between each pair of blocks whereby to place a sufficient tension upon the flexible means to draw the edge-grooved blocks against the edges of the picture and its mounting means to thereby secure the supporting means to the picture so that it can be suspended from a picture hook or the like.

HARRY E. BAWDEN. 

